Nick Saban sends stern warning to the rest of the SEC about Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Vols

It sounds like someone who used to regularly put it on the Tennessee Vols on the sideline is sounding the alarm to the rest of the Southeastern Conference about his former foe.

Nick Saban, now a regular contributor on ESPN's College Gameday, has had plenty of matchups with Tennessee during his 17 years as Alabama's head coach.  He's also had three matchups with Josh Heupel and the Vols' spread offense, so he knows a thing or two about UT's offense under its current head coach.

On Saturday morning during the Gameday panel's picks, Saban didn't mince words about his feelings on new starting QB Nico Iamaleava and Heupel's offense this fall.

"I think Tennessee, with the quarterback play that they're getting right now, I think they're gonna be hard to beat," Saban said.  "I think they're gonna be hard to beat by all the teams in the SEC because of the spread offense they have, and I actually think they're better on defense than people are giving them credit for."

Saban would know a thing or two about getting torched by the Vols' spread offense.  Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee passing attack piled up 385 yards in the Vols' 52-49 win in 2022, with Jalin Hyatt locking up the Biletnikoff Award with 207 receiving yards and 5 touchdown receptions in the contest.

Although the Vols have featured a very effective running game under Heupel, it goes without saying that who's been under center for the Vols so far in his tenure has been the straw that's stirred the drink for Tennessee's offense.  The 2021 and 2022 versions with Hendon Hooker pushed the ball down the field and were explosive.  The playbook was opened all the way up.

That clearly changed in a big way in 2023 with Joe Milton III.  The big-armed quarterback and his receivers never could put it all together during a season where the offense struggled for long stretches.

Now, Iamaleava, who's already received praise from former players and pundits alike, appears set to take the Vols' offense back to the way it looked in 2022.  Or, perhaps, something at a level we haven't even seen yet during the Heupel era.

If he can, then Saban's words will be a justified warning for the rest of the conference not just for 2024, but for years to come.

Related: Former Georgia All-American tries to back up his praise for Vols QB Nico Iamaleava with a very strange comparison